Hoekstra to testify against Gitmo prisoner move in state Senate

One of the biggest critics of a proposal to move Guantanamo Bay prisoners to the continental U.S. is set to testify before his home state’s legislature to lay out his case against the move.

Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R-Mich.) will speak before the state Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday afternoon to speak in opposition to a plan that would transfer suspected terrorists at Guantanamo to the state’s Standish prison, which is set to be shuttered. The Detroit News reported the story.

The ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee has firmly opposed a White House proposal to move the prisoners from the facility in Cuba to either Michigan or Kansas. Hoekstra has said Gitmo prisoners would make the area unsafe and drive tourists and business out of the economically struggling state.

Sen. Pat Robers (R-Kan.) made similar arguments about sending the prisoners to Fort Leavenworth, Kan. He also threatened to shut down the Senate if the proposal is approved.

But local and national pressure may be pushing back against opposition to the plan. With the prison closing, many Standish-area officials favor taking Guantanamo prisoners in order to prevent prison workers from losing their jobs.

The Gitmo proposal is now one of the only remaining options after a plan to transfer California prisoners to the Michigan facility fell through today.

Last week, federal officials from the Justice, Defense, and Homeland Security departments toured the Standish facility to judge its suitability to house the suspected terrorists.